wjc celebration shot

The golden group

11 IIHF World Junior Championship gold medallists anchor first 16 named for World Cup of Hockey

David Brien & Wendy Graves
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March 2, 2016
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The first 16 players named to Team Canada are a who’s-who of Canadian hockey; they have combined for 19 Olympic gold medals and five more at the IIHF World Championship, and all but one – goaltender Corey Crawford – has previous international experience on their résumé.

Included in their list of successes is the IIHF World Junior Championship. Of the group, 11 are world juniors alumni, and each and every one of them have a gold medal to their name; John Tavares and Jonathan Toews lead the way with two apiece.

Here’s a look at how the World Cup-bound Canadians fared at the world juniors:

JAMIE BENN
2009 WJC – 6GP 4G 2A 6P (gold medal)

The reigning Art Ross Trophy winner, and again among the NHL’s scoring leaders this season, Benn has cemented his spot as one of the hockey world’s top point-getters. But that wasn’t the case in 2009; the Victoria, B.C., native was a role player with Team Canada at the world juniors, chipping in six points in six games – five in a one-sided win over Kazakhstan – to help Canada to its fifth-straight gold in Ottawa.

PATRICE BERGERON
2005 WJC – 6GP 5G 8A 13P (gold medal/MVP/All-Star Team)

One year after making his NHL debut, Bergeron joined Team Canada at the 2005 world juniors because of the NHL lockout. His professional experience paid off; he combined with Sidney Crosby and Corey Perry to form Canada’s most dangerous line, and finished with a tournament-leading 13 points to help Canada end an eight-year gold medal drought, earning MVP honours and a spot on the media all-star team in the process.

JEFF CARTER
2004 WJC – 6GP 5G 2A 7P (silver medal/All-Star Team)
2005 WJC – 6GP 7G 3A 10P (gold medal/All-Star Team)

Part of the group that experienced heartbreak in Helsinki at the 2004 world juniors, where he was named a media all-star, Carter came back one year later and repeated that feat; he scored seven times to tie Eric Lindros for most goals in Canadian WJC history (12, since passed by Eberle and Tavares), became the only Canadian to ever be named an all-star in consecutive years, and, most importantly, won gold in Grand Forks.

SIDNEY CROSBY
2004 WJC – 6GP 2G 3A 5P (silver medal)
2005 WJC – 6GP 6G 3A 9P (gold medal)

The youngest player to ever score for Canada at the world juniors when he tallied against Switzerland in 2004, Crosby made his biggest impact one year later; the future two-time Olympic gold medallist trailed only Jeff Carter in goals in Grand Forks, tied Éric Dazé’s all-time Canadian record for power-play goals in one world juniors (five), and helped Canada end eight years of gold medal heartache.

DREW DOUGHTY
2008 WJC – 7GP 0G 4A 4P (gold medal/Best Defenceman/All-Star)

Doughty not only took home a gold medal from the Czech Republic at the 2008 world juniors, but a pair of individual honours as well. While he registered only four points in seven games – two assists against both Slovakia and Finland – he was recognized for his ability to make life difficult for opposing offences; the blue-liner was named Best Defenceman by the IIHF Directorate, and to the media all-star team.

RYAN GETZLAF
2004 WJC – 6GP 3G 3A 6P (silver medal)
2005 WJC – 6GP 3G 9A 12P (gold medal)

After settling for silver at the 2004 world juniors in Helsinki, where he averaged a point a game, Getzlaf was back in red and white one year later, joining what many believe is the best Canadian team ever. The Regina, Sask., native was an offensive force, finishing second in Team Canada and tournament scoring with 12 points, and scoring just 51 seconds into the gold medal game to help the Canadians to a gold medal.

CAREY PRICE
2007 WJC – 6GP 6-0-0 1.14GAA .961SV% 2SO (gold medal/MVP/Best Goaltender/All-Star Team)

The last goaltender to play every second of every game for Team Canada at the world juniors, Price backstopped the Canadians to a third-consecutive gold medal in 2007; the 2015 Hart Trophy and Vezina Trophy winner opened the tournament with a shutout and never slowed down, leading the WJC in goals-against average, save percentage, and shutouts, and turning away the U.S. in a semifinal shootout thriller.

STEVEN STAMKOS
2008 WJC – 7GP 1G 5A 6P (gold medal)

The future first-overall pick finally won a medal with Team Canada in his third go-round after finishing off the podium at the summer U18 tournament and U18 worlds. The 17-year-old had three assists in a tournament-opening win over the host Czechs, and chipped in a goal and two assists the rest of the way to finish second in

team scoring as the Canadians won a fourth gold in a row with an overtime win over Sweden.

JOHN TAVARES
2008 WJC – 7GP 4G 1A 6P (gold medal)
2009 WJC – 6GP 8G 7A 15P (gold medal/MVP/Best Forward/All-Star Team)

Tavares had four goals in seven games as a 17-year-old to help Canada win gold at the 2008 world juniors, but that was nothing compared to his 2009 performance as the Canadians made it five in a row in Ottawa. He won MVP and Best Forward honours after a 15-point effort, earned a spot on the media all-star team, and sits tied with Jeff Carter and Eric Lindros for second-most goals in Canadian WJC history (12).

JONATHAN TOEWS
2006 WJC – 6GP 0G 2A 2P (gold medal)
2007 WJC – 6GP 4G 3A 7P (gold medal)

The Winnipeg, Man., native had a modest two assists at the 2006 world juniors as part of the best defensive team ever, but he broke out one year later. Toews led Canada in scoring in Sweden with seven points in six games en route to gold, and that doesn’t include his biggest contribution – three goals in three attempts in a semifinal shootout win over the U.S. that booked his place in Canadian hockey history.

SHEA WEBER
2005 WJC – 6GP 0G 0A 0P (gold medal)

Weber did not record a point in six games as Canada ended its eight-year gold medal drought in Grand Forks – the only Canadian to play more than one game and not find the scoresheet – but that doesn’t mean he didn’t play a major role; making his international debut, the blue-liner joined Dion Phaneuf on Canada’s shutdown defensive pairing, finishing tied for third in plus/minus at +10 – tops among all defencemen.

For more information:

Esther Madziya
Manager, Communications
Hockey Canada

(403) 284-6484 

[email protected] 

Spencer Sharkey
Manager, Communications
Hockey Canada

(403) 777-4567

[email protected]

Jeremy Knight
Manager, Corporate Communications
Hockey Canada

(647) 251-9738

[email protected]

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